IT WAS promised as the ideal companion to calm the nerves, soothe a troubled mind or just simply pass the time – but, more often than not, it infuriated and created more stress than it was supposed to relieve.

The iconic Rubik’s cube was the blessed – or cursed – toy cube that literally everyone was talking about back in 1981 when the phenomenally successful “toy” invented by Professor Erno Rubik, of Budapest, hit the shops.

In that same year, 17-year-old Christopher Lennon, from Portsmouth, pictured above, clicked and twisted the mind-blowing Rubik cube to complete it in just over 55 seconds.

He successfully competed against 39 other experts to earn himself a place in the national finals of a Rubiks cube competition.

Some years later, in April 1987, more nimble-finger wizards joined together once again to compete against each other in a competition using Dr Rubik’s latest offering.

The challengers tested their skills against the clock and each other as they battled it out using the latest Rubik’s Magic puzzle for a chance to win a trip to New York.

They were taking part in the first-round heats to find a British challenger for the world’s fastest Rubik’s puzzle-solver.

Helen Capocci, 14, pictured right, managed to solve the puzzle in a very respectable 5.22 seconds, but the fastest time on record was an astonishing 2.7 seconds.